Lights Camera Action

Ep. 23

Twenty years old Moon Byul Yi was jumping on the couch then on the bed then on the floor and lastly jumped into her mother arms. She finally got her first break, a very small role but still her first chance to show her skill infront of the camera. After being in a flop idol group for four years, when the group finally disbanded, Moon Byul Yi was clueless what to do. She didn't have proper school education just like the idol trainees and had a huge debt, like the other idol trainees. But thanks to her beauty, after the disbandment, her company offered her to join as an actress and she did, because at that time it seemed to be the best decision and only option.

Twenty years old Byulyi, set her first step at the film set with her widened eyes and excited mind. Twenty years old Byulyi politely bowed to all the seniors and pledged to work hard. Twenty years old Byulyi who thought her life gonna be all fern and petals from now but never imagined her beautiful dream would turn into the worst nightmare.

Twenty years old Byulyi bagged a minor role of a high school student. She was young, a good choice for the character. In the set, she was a cheerful, energetic newcomer, who everyone adored. But things started to get downhill, when a renowned, veteran actor began to misbehave with her. It started with unnecessarily touching her here and there. At first Byulyi ignored it, as his hand used to subtly touch on her head, neck, hands but one day he brushed her fingers over her breasts. It was quick, within a snap but it was clearly intentional. Byulyi was frozen at the place, her throat ran dry, mind was blank. Never in her nightmares, she could thought, a person who was only two three years younger than her own father could do something filthy like that. And guess what role was he playing?

A loving father of two girls !!!

After that, it became a routine. Byulyi was puzzled and traumatized, she didn't know who to complain. Her then manager was non chalant, he even advised her to suck it up as it was nothing serious. She was scared that if she complained, she might get replaced and lost the chance. But she was equally horrified as he hands began to travelled from her covered chest to under her skirt, to her bare thighs.

And one day, that scumbug Lee Do Hyun, insisted to teach her how to kiss as she had a kissing scene. That day, she cried, she screamed, she narrated everyone her ordeal. Naive and innocent Byulyi thought that people would believe her, she was speaking the truth afterall. The twenty years old Byulyi was hopeful that the world wasn't that bad, that selfish, they would definitely help her.

Imstead, she was warned by the director that she might lose the role over this incident. Byulyi was silenced by her own label and they explained how whistleblowers were outcasted and how she might never able to pay her debts. And lastly twenty years old Byulyi was threatened by Lee Do Hyun's wife that if she opened her mouth, her career would be over and she would be dragged to the court on the charges of defamation.

Twenty years old Byulyi was convinced that there was no one who would help her, even though they could.

And when that twenty years old Byulyi came to meet her tonight, after eight year, tears trickle down her pink cheeks. Reminiscing her painful past, the actress Moon Byul Yi blankly stares outside, where the sceneries are changing rapidly as Seokjin's car is riding on the flyover in high speed. Kim Seok Jin didn't tell her, where they are heading to. Byulyi didn't ask him either. He didn't utter a single word since an hour and she was silent on the whole ride.

The car fimally stops, Kim Seok Jin gets out of the car without ushering the lady outside. Byulyi lazily looks at the front and for a second a quick sense happiness sparks in her trobled mind. The waves are looking majestic in the moonlight, it's definitely a sight to behold. She gets down from the car and walks to Seokjin, who is filling his lungs with the smell of the sea.

"If you think that tonight you saved me or something then don't misunderstand. I could have managed it my own"

To her surprise, Seokjin just chuckles but doesn't argue.

"If you think that I just took advantage of the situation so that you accept me as your boyfriend then...."

Seokjin looks at her mischievously and Byulyi raises her brows,

"Then??"

"Then you are right", Seokjin laughs out loud.

"What a jerk !!!", she throws a lump of sand at him, in annoyance.

"It doesn't bother you a bit??", she asks.

"What?"

"Faking? Lying ? Pretending?"

Seokjin shakes his head, "as long as I am clear about my intentions and as long as my intentions are not bad, I am not bothered"

Moon Byul Yi stares at the man intently, in effort to understand his real nature. He is confusing to others but seems pretty clear to himself, which is rare.

"What are your intentions?"

"To protect, to protect what I love, to protect what I want, to protect what I am working on and to protect....you"

"Me???"

Byulyi can see just his back right now. He looks like a beautiful potrait standing infront of the sea. Its a full moon night and tides are on low side. The white sand, the silver lining of the sea waves and Kim Seok Jin, all are looking ethereal, bathed into the majestic moonlight.

"Why me?", Byulyi asks again.

"Because you are a good person"

The reason sounds the lamest to her ears, she scoffs, "you don't have anything to say, right?"

"Why?? Is not being "good" should be considered as the best appreciation?? What's the point of being super talented, famous or successful but a trash?? Will someone like you??"

Not being able to argue with his words, Buulyi clears her throat, "You don't like me  anyway. I still remember your words in our first meeting, you doubted my ethics too"

Seokjin turns around and stands infront of her, "Sorry. I was judgemental, honestly not a fond of your acting skills and influenced by your rumours. Plus..."

"Plus??"

Seokjin chuckles, "the state I discovered you wasn't really ideal..."

Byulyi's ears heat up in embarrassment, she still tries to reason that,

"I was a little tipsy that night and..."

"...and very horny", Seokjin breaks into laughter, and Byulyi hits him with her clutch.

"And. In. Love", she completes her sentence.

"Right", Seokjin grabs her hands to stop those hits. He then holds her hands closer to his chest and looking at her eyes, he says

"Byulyi you are a good person but sometimes you have to encounter shitty, filthy people around you, who don't deserve your goodness. You don't need to be good to everyone, you can be bad to them, that doesn't make you bad"

Tears roll down through her cheeks, with a broken voice, she exclaims

"I don't know why people were so bad to me?"

"Because they were just bad, nothing to do with you".

Seokjin pulls her closer into a warm hug and let her cry out it all on his shoulder.

To be continued......